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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Thinking about God and nature, what does Dillard come to believe is possible?
(a) nature is a God unto itself
(b) nature has created God
(c) God was sleeping and messed up some of nature
(d) God has created much, if not all, of creation in jest

2. How do mice reach the grain at the top of a stalk?
(a) mice chew wheat stems piece by piece
(b) they wait for the farmer to cut the field
(c) they climb a tree and jump onto the stalk
(d) they climb the stalk on the back of other mice

3. What changes about the view around Dillard's home when winter comes?
(a) nothing changes about the view
(b) the snow covered trees block her view of the creek
(c) winter opens vistas around Dillard's home so she can see other homes
(d) the view looks stark and empty

4. If there were only one tree in the world, what would happen, according to the author?
(a) there would not be enough oxygen to breath
(b) all creatures would travel to touch it in order to feel secure
(c) the world would cease to exist
(d) humans would all live around the tree

5. When a scientist disrupted pine caterpillars' food trail, what happened?
(a) half of caterpillars made a new trail off to the right
(b) the caterpillars could not restart a new trail
(c) they turned around and followed their trail back home
(d) they stopped, and stayed still until they died

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Dillard, the "simple" is transformed by evolution into what?

2. What does Dillard see as a passive mystery?

3. At a ranch, Dillard drew a horse. It wasn't a good picture. Others who lived at the ranch drew great horses. Why?

4. What is the translation of trompes-l' esprit ?

5. What is the analogy she draws between the snake skin and the seasons?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 3, what has the reader learned about Dillard's attitude towards living creatures?

2. What physics concept does Dillard use to write about observing muskrats? How does she use it?

3. In Chapter 11, Dillard is mimicking a group of people. Who is she mimicking and why? How do you know this?

4. Chapter 13 continues Dillard's musing on the "dog eat dog" world especially as it relates to parasites. How does Dillard view the parasitic relationship?

5. Describe Dillard's thoughts as she looks over the creek from the bridge when it was flooded.

6. Dillard believes that the death of the self is painless. What might she mean by this?

7. Dillard spends the entire chapter dealing with the passing of a hurricane. How does the theme of "floods" relate to other parts of the book?

8. In the second section of Chapter 11, Dillard stays almost exclusively focused on one topic, seldom straying. Why do you think she is staying so focused?

9. What is her purpose in the mimicking?

10. Dillard remembers once seeing migrating Canadian geese fly, speeding across the duck pond which leads her to think what?

(see the answer keys)

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